Main frame connector and method

ABSTRACT

A solderless connector for making spring reserve electrical contact between a main frame post and a pair of insulated wires in a communications installation.

United States Patent inventor Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee William J. Seim St. Paul, Minn.

Oct. 20, 1969 Sept. 28, 1971 Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing CompanySt. Paul, Minn.

MAIN FRAME CONNECTOR AND METHOD 2 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs.

u.s. CI 339/98 Int. Cl H0lr 9/08 Field of Search 339/97-99 [56]References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,012,219 12/1961 Levin et al.

3,118,715 1/1964 Potruch 3,189,863 6/1965 Leach 3,434,093 3/1969Wedekind 3,500,292 3/ 1970 Enright et a1.

Primary Examiner-Joseph H. McGlynn Attorney-Kinney, Alexander, Sell,Steldt & Delahunt ABSTRACT: A solderless connector for making springreserve electrical contact between a main frame post and a pair ofinsulated wires in a communications installation.

MAIN FRAME CONNECTOR AND METHOD This invention relates to solderlesswire-connectors and in particular to connectors for use in attachinginsulated wires to the contact posts of a telephone main frame assembly.

The conventional procedure for attaching communication cable insulatedwires to main frame posts is to strip the wire ends and then make awrap-and-solder connection. The present invention eliminates the needfor wire-stripping and soldering, greatly simplifies the operation ofmaking connection between wires and posts, adds an insulating coveringto such connectors, and provides trouble-free spring reserve electricalconnection between post and wires.

In the drawing,

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the connector in perspective,

FIG. 2A is a longitudinal section of the body and contact member, and 28a similar section of the cover member taken at line 22 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3A is a transverse section of the body member, and 3B of the covermember, at line 3-3 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4A is a transverse section of the body member, and 4B of the covermember, at line 4-4 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is an end view of the cover member from the wire entry end,

FIG. 6 is an end view of the body member from the wire entry end, and

FIG. 7 is an end view of the body member from the post entry end.

As will be seen from FIG. 1, the connector consists of a body 10, acover 11, and a contact element 12, the components being shown inexploded view and with the cover member turned at right angles to itsnormal position.

The body 10 is in the form of an open top hollow boxlike structurehaving sidewalls 13, 14 and end walls 15, 16. The sidewalls slopeinwardly towards the open top. The interior of the body is transverselyslotted to provide a narrow slot 17 near the end wall 16. The bodymember is also slotted at the opposite end to fonn an open slot 18connecting with the open interior and of dimensions suitable for entryof a main frame soldering post. Triangularly cross-sectioned projections19, 20, and 21 extend inwardly from walls 13, 14 and respectively, withtheir lower surfaces in line with the upper level of the slot 18, andparallel with the corresponding segments 43, 44 of the open-centeredbottom of said body. The projections 19, terminate short of the slot 17to permit entry of the contact element during assembly.

The front wall 16 of the body member 10 is provided with a generallyW-shaped opening 22 as more clearly shown in FIG. 6, the two lobes 23and 24 defining the position of the wire ends to be inserted within theconnector. The lower portion of the wall 16 is inset, as shown mostparticularly in FIG. 2A, with its inner surface in close proximity tothe slot 17.

The cover member 11 fits within, and flush with the open top of, thebody 10 when the connector is applied to a wire pair, but is initiallyretained in the extended or open position by outwardly slanted resilientside extensions 25, 26 which make contact with the slanted innersidewalls ofthe body. In closed position the slanted sidewalls of thecover fit snugly against the slanted sidewalls of the body. The cover istransversely slotted to provide a narrow slot 27 in line with the slot17 of body 10, and has parallel longitudinal channels 28, 29 separatedby a central extension 30 and extended through the forward portion 31 ofthe cover as circular openings 32, 33. Thin sections 34, 35 of theinsulating material of which the part is constructed extend across theopposite or inner ends of the open channels 28 and 29.

The contact member 12 consists of a wire-connecting flat plate portion36 fitting within the slots 17 and 27 in the body and cover membersrespectively and doubly slotted to provide open-ended wire-receivingslots 37, 38 in line with the channels 28, 29. Extending from theopposite end of the contact element is a bowed post-contacting plateportion 39, consisting of an upwardly slanted connecting intermediateportion 40 and a downwardly slanted tip portion 41, and which fitsbeneath extensions 19, 20 and against bottom se ents 43, 44 when theplate 36 is inserted within the slot 1 A centrally offset segment 42near the base of the contact element 36 assists in anchoring the elementwithin the body by making gouging contact with the inner surface of theinset portion of the front wall 16.

Water-resistant greases, preferably silicone grease, may be placedwithin the body member if desired, to serve as a further insulating andprotective agency. The sliding contact required between contact elementand the wire ends and contact port during installation assuresdisplacement of the grease from contact surfaces and results in fullelectrical contact.

With the three components assembled as indicated, and with the covermember supported above the body member in the open position, the wireends to be connected are merely inserted through the openings 32, 33 andagainst the plates 34, 35, and the cover is then forced into the body bymeans of a suitable pliers of similar compression tool. The cover snapsinto position as in the slanted edges of the cover are forced betweenthe slanted sidewalls of the body, and the wires are forced into theslots 37, 38 and against the spring reserve tension of the resilientelement 36. The closed connector is then forcefully slid onto theappropriate solder post of the main frame, the post entering within theslot 28 and against the lower surface of the wedges 19-21 and makingeffective sliding contact with the resilient plate 39. Single-wireconnections are similarly made in circuits where two wires are notrequired.

A typical connector made in accordance with the preceding descriptionhas overall dimensions, in closed form as applied to the wire ends, of0.235 X 0.320 X 0.540 inch. The body and cover will typically beinjection molded from tough electrically insulating polycarbonate orother plastic material. The element 12 is desirably formed of No. 26cartridge brass; the wire contact plate 36 is 0.180 X0.238 inch, and thebowed plate member 39 extends 0.300 inch from the plate. A connectormade to such dimensions will accept No. 22-24 plastic covered copperwires and will fit a 1132 X 7/32 inch post as used on many main frameassemblies.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A connector for making in-line solderless electrical connection in acommunications installation between a pair of insulated wires and a mainframe flat post, said connector comprising: an open top hollowinsulating body member having inwardly slanted sidewalls, inwardlytransversely slotted to provide a transverse narrow slot near one endfor receiving a spring reserve wire contact element, and slotted toprovide an open slot at the other end for receiving a said post, saidbody including projecting ledges extending inwardly along both sidewallsfor supporting a post inserted through said end slot; a cover memberfitting into the open top of said body member in both open and shutpositions, longitudinally channeled to provide a pair of parallelwire-supporting surfaces, and transversely slotted across saidwire-supporting surfaces to provide an inner narrow transverse slot inline with the transverse slot in said body member; and a spring reservecontact element disposed within said body member; and a spring reservecontact element disposed within said body member, having awire-connecting flat plate portion fitting within said transverse slotsof said body and cover and across said wire-supporting surfaces andslotted to provide an open-ended wire-accepting slot in line with eachof said surfaces, and a port-contacting portion toward saidpost-receiving slot in said body member for making spring-reservesliding contact with a said post.

2. Method of connecting insulated wires to a main frame post comprisinginserting a wire-end into an open connector as described in claim 1 andclosing said connector to make spring reserve contact between saidwire-end and said contact element, and slidably mounting said connectoron said post.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,6o9,6'r Dated September 28, 1971 Inventor(s) William J Se im It is certifiedthat error appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 12, "port" should be "post" Column 2, line 20, "oi"should be or u H u n V Column line 2i, after and before thn delete inColumn 2, line 5S-59, delete "und a spring reserve Contact clementdisposed with in said body member;

Column 2, line 1 delete portr-conwcting, portion and insertpost-contucting bowed plate portion extending from said wire-connectingport ion-- Signed and sealed this 21st day of March 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissionerof Patents *ORM P0-1050 (10-69) USCOMM-DC 80376-P69 USv GOVERNMENTPRINTING OFFICE: IQ, O-lU-Jll

1. A connector for making in-line solderless electrical connection in acommunications installation between a pair of insulated wires and a mainframe flat post, said connector comprising: an open top hollowinsulating body member having inwardly slanted sidewalls, inwardlytransversely slotted to provide a transverse narrow slot near one endfor receiving a spring reserve wire contact element, and slotted toprovide an open slot at the other end for receiving a said post, saidbody including projecting ledges extending inwardly along both sidewallsfor supporting a post inserted through said end slot; a cover memberfitting into the open top of said body member and having outwardlyslanted resilient sides and side extensions providing a snap fit withsaid side walls of said body member in both open and shut positions,longitudinallY channeled to provide a pair of parallel wire-supportingsurfaces, and transversely slotted across said wire-supporting surfacesto provide an inner narrow transverse slot in line with the transverseslot in said body member; and a spring reserve contact element disposedwithin said body member, having a wire-connecting flat plate portionfitting within said transverse slots of said body and cover and acrosssaid wire-supporting surfaces and slotted to provide an open-endedwire-accepting slot in line with each of said surfaces, and apost-contacting bowed plate portion extending from said wire-connectingportion toward said post-receiving slot in said body member for makingspring-reserve sliding contact with a said post.
 2. Method of connectinginsulated wires to a main frame post comprising inserting a wire-endinto an open connector as described in claim 1 and closing saidconnector to make spring reserve contact between said wire-end and saidcontact element, and slidably mounting said connector on said post.